Days 2-4 of the Wim Hof Method workshop Before you start, have you read Part 1 & Part 2 yet?? http://www.livinglimitlessly.com/wim-hof-1 http://www.livinglimitlessly.com/wim-hof-2 Going deep With every day that passed, it became apparent that the more breathing we did that oxygenated our bodies, the deeper we went into our cells and did a big clean up. The waste was then released in all different ways. Some people had ‘interesting’ eliminations (think number 2); others had physical signs such as bruising all over their body; and the most common one for all of us was having an emotional release. It was not unusual to sit up after a breathing session & look around to see that most people were teary. Every day was different as to whether it tapped into just a small realisation or something really deep and profound. One person in the group had really huge releases & would sob uncontrollably at every session. This also meant that there was a lot of bonding amongst the group. I have to say that in my entire life, I’ve barely managed to see a single male get overly emotional. At the workshop, with 57 males all experiencing emotional releases, I’ve never seen so many guys cry in my life! It was amazing & such an important transformational shift for men to be able to show vulnerability like that. It’s good for the mind, body & spirit to let shit go! Migraine & WHM On day 2 & 3 I had a bad headache (for those of you that follow me, then you will know I suffer from migraine pain). The only good thing about having the migraine at the workshop was that I had the space & time to just let it be and play itself out. I didn’t add to it by stressing about having to go to work or needing to be somewhere. This in itself brought up a lot of ‘stuff’ for me. Luckily, there was a lady there that practiced kinesiology so she helped me to release those issues that contributed to my headache pain. Doing the WHM breathing was interesting, as the breathing in itself would make my head pound with pain. This makes sense as migraine's are vascular in nature, meaning they are to do with the blood vessels. Reduced blood flow in the veins results in, a lack of oxygen in the tissues, and changes in the brain’s chemistry. When an irritation occurs, fluid and protein leave the blood stream and enter the tissue spaces. This slows down the exchange of oxygen and nutrients at the cell level. This, in turn, causes the release of substances that greatly dilate the blood vessels. Local tissue injury and swelling occur as a result – which is why there is great pain associated with migraine. So whilst doing the WHM breathing, the veins would be contracting, causing even more pain. What was great though, is that an hour or so later after the breathing session, the headache would seem to subside and ease off a bit. This is most likely because the increased amounts of oxygen in the blood would also raise oxygen levels in the brain. More ice baths Evey day brought more ice baths & by the second day there were multiple sessions. The ice baths also grew in duration until, on the final day, it was for 10 minutes!! What’s important to note about the ice baths is that they are an important tool in this method. Aside from the health benefits of cold therapy, Wim also says that the reason for the ice baths are to remind us of how to use the WHM breathing technique correctly. Fundamentally, if you are in an ice bath & you do not do the breathing correctly, then you will not survive the ice bath without side affects. The ice bath forces you to focus on the method to ensure you are able to withstand the cold & to maintain your core body temperature. So many reasons to breathe! Knowing that you are able to consciously affect your autonomic nervous system is amazing. It is the only method that I have learnt where I can immediately see the benefits of how I have affected my body. The part of my body that would normally operate automatically without any conscious input from me. It’s beyond amazing. It’s what makes this method life changing. No longer am I at the whim (sorry! I had to do it!) of what my body wants to do, but what I, want it to do. It really makes me feel like becoming 'superhuman' is in the realms of possibility. Wim not only taught us how to breathe to regulate our core body temperature & raise our alkalinity, he also taught us how to activate our brown adipose tissue (aka BAT or brown fat). BAT burns at a higher metabolic rate than white fat, but unfortunately as we get older, we seem to lose it. With Wim’s help, we are able to regenerate more brown fat, which in turn, burns more energy. That means…you guessed it…a higher metabolism. Another amazing technique he taught us was how to access our own DMT (Dimethyltryptamine). Read more here... Blog Post for #18 http://www.livinglimitlessly.com/wim-hof-3 http://www.livinglimitlessly.com Days 2-4 with Wim Before you start, have you read Part 1 & Part 2 yet?? http://www.livinglimitlessly.com/wim-hof-1 http://www.livinglimitlessly.com/wim-hof-2 Going deep With every day that passed, it became apparent that the more breathing we did that oxygenated our bodies, the deeper we went into our cells and did a big clean up. The waste was then released in all different ways. Some people had ‘interesting’ eliminations (think number 2); others had physical signs such as bruising all over their body; and the most common one for all of us was having an emotional release. It was not unusual to sit up after a breathing session & look around to see that most people were teary. Every day was different as to whether it tapped into just a small realisation or something really deep and profound. One person in the group had really huge releases & would sob uncontrollably at every session. This also meant that there was a lot of bonding amongst the group. I have to say that in my entire life, I’ve barely managed to see a single male get overly emotional. At the workshop, with 57 males all experiencing emotional releases, I’ve never seen so many guys cry in my life! It was amazing & such an important transformational shift for men to be able to show vulnerability like that. It’s good for the mind, body & spirit to let shit go! Migraine & WHM On day 2 & 3 I had a bad headache (for those of you that follow me, then you will know I suffer from migraine pain). The only good thing about having the migraine at the workshop was that I had the space & time to just let it be and play itself out. I didn’t add to it by stressing about having to go to work or needing to be somewhere. This in itself brought up a lot of ‘stuff’ for me. Luckily, there was a lady there that practiced kinesiology so she helped me to release those issues that contributed to my headache pain. Doing the WHM breathing was interesting, as the breathing in itself would make my head pound with pain. This makes sense as migraine's are vascular in nature, meaning they are to do with the blood vessels. Reduced blood flow in the veins results in, a lack of oxygen in the tissues, and changes in the brain’s chemistry. When an irritation occurs, fluid and protein leave the blood stream and enter the tissue spaces. This slows down the exchange of oxygen and nutrients at the cell level. This, in turn, causes the release of substances that greatly dilate the blood vessels. Local tissue injury and swelling occur as a result – which is why there is great pain associated with migraine. So whilst doing the WHM breathing, the veins would be contracting, causing even more pain. What was great though, is that an hour or so later after the breathing session, the headache would seem to subside and ease off a bit. This is most likely because the increased amounts of oxygen in the blood would also raise oxygen levels in the brain. More ice baths Evey day brought more ice baths & by the second day there were multiple sessions. The ice baths also grew in duration until, on the final day, it was for 10 minutes!! What’s important to note about the ice baths is that they are an important tool in this method. Aside from the health benefits of cold therapy, Wim also says that the reason for the ice baths are to remind us of how to use the WHM breathing technique correctly. Fundamentally, if you are in an ice bath & you do not do the breathing correctly, then you will not survive the ice bath without side affects. The ice bath forces you to focus on the method to ensure you are able to withstand the cold & to maintain your core body temperature. So many reasons to breathe! Knowing that you are able to consciously affect your autonomic nervous system is amazing. It is the only method that I have learnt where I can immediately see the benefits of how I have affected my body. The part of my body that would normally operate automatically Read more here... Blog Post for #18 A warning from Innerfire.nl - important message, please read carefully: The breathing exercise has a profound effect and should be practiced in the way it is explained. Always do the breathing exercise in a safe environment (e.g. sitting on a couch/floor) and unforced. Never practice the exercises before or during diving, driving, swimming, taking a bath or in any other environment/place where, should you pass out, a serious injury could occur. Wim Hof breathing may cause tingling sensations and/or lightheadedness. If you’ve fainted, it means that you went to far. Take a step back next time. The cold is a powerful force. We strongly advise to gradually build up exposing yourself to the cold. Always train without force and listen to your body carefully. If it is not practiced responsible, there is a risk of hypothermia. Do not practice the method during pregnancy or when having epilepsy. Persons with cardiovascular health issues, or any other (serious) health conditions, should always consult a medical doctor before starting with the Wim Hof Method.
